WATCHING a favourite sitcom triggers more than just belly laughs — a study found it also causes indigestion.
Researchers said chortling at TV shows like Only Fools And Horses increases the risk of tummy ache by 74 per cent.
They think comedy may trigger a nervous reaction which can slow digestion and lead to a build-up of acids.
They quizzed 9,000 students and found 63.2 per cent laughed while talking with family or friends, 62.8 while watching TV or videos, 24.6 when reading comics, and 4.7 while listening to the radio.
Guffawing while looking at the telly raised indigestion risk by three-quarters, said the Japanese study.
But laughing with friends or relatives cut the risk by nearly half — possibly by raising levels of happy hormone oxytocin, which aids digestion.
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Dr Chris Fraser, at Spire Murrayfield Hospital in Edinburgh, added: “It’s good to see positive social interaction with peers also has a therapeutic effect on our stomachs.
“The bottom line is, we need to laugh more.”
The study features in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
